School board trustees gave staff members clearance Monday to enlist a San Diego-based law firm in discussions that could evolve into a lawsuit.

The dispute stems from a crash in March 2010 that involved a Poway Unified school bus and another vehicle.

The insurance company, according to a report presented during a closed session Monday at a school board meeting, determined that the bus driver and the driver of the vehicle were equally at fault for the accident that happened near Sabre Springs Parkway and Springhurst Drive.

No students were on the bus at the time, and the driver was not injured. A passenger in the other vehicle was injured.

District officials, according to the report, do not agree that the bus driver was at all to blame and have not paid any money to the driver of the vehicle.

While Allstate has paid the district $9,885 to repair the bus, district officials say that’s not enough.

The final repair cost, according to the report was $24,112. Towing cost the district $1,292. Since the bus was out of circulation while it was being repaired, district officials said Allstate owes Poway Unified another $32,250.

All told, the district has asked Allstate for $47,768 — nearly $38,000 more than the company has paid.

Allstate and the district have entered into discussions, but the dispute remains unresolved.

If further discussions fail to make progress, Poway Unified staff members will call on Dan Shinoff of Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz law firm to represent the district in a lawsuit.

The firm would receive a portion of whatever amount of money is recovered, according to a contract the board approved Monday.